The Story Of Daniel Jordan’s “Red Dress”

“The first time I remember you, you were in a red dress and I was in a grey suit” Daniel Jordan croons. 

This is Daniel Jordan’s first single. It is an ear-worm that has been stuck in our head for days now. We find ourselves humming it. We find ourselves singing it.  We find ourselves thinking about it, haunting us at night. Safe to say, it is all a pretty promising start to a successful career.

I’d rather live a lie than have to learn the lesson

The song starts off with guitar strums that then gets beautifully blended with Jordan’s soulful voice. You get a perfectly painted picture of what went down with this very special lady who clearly is a great dresser. The song discusses how Jordan’s significant other recounts a different story as to how they met. She claims they met at his house with friends while he recalls a party. You can feel his confusion with this mystery lady. “What is she attempting to achieve?” you ask yourself. “Why is she acting like this?” you ponder.  Jordan is not only a good songwriter but a great storyteller you takes you on a journey with his music.

Can’t you see it hurts me? I don’t find you deserving.

Daniel Jordan has been a musician, entertainer and DJ for over four years. He mainly caters to the Oklahoma/Nebraska area where he plays over 125 shows in a year. He plays either as a solo artist, a duo, trio or with a full band. Jordan loves playing live events, mixing his own original music with covers that everyone loves to sing and dance to. When working as a duo, he partners up with Weston Horn and two are looping artists. Jordan plays guitar, piano and harmonica. He originally fell in love with music in high school and hasn’t stopped since.

We already discussed how much we love “Red Dress”, so now it is time to learn the real story behind the song and what is next for this upcoming star.

What was the eureka moment when you realized music was your calling?

I’m not sure there was ever an isolated “eureka moment.” My folks always loved music and though neither were musicians, they kept a strong sense of community in our household by taking my brother and me to concerts when we were young. I began taking drum lessons in 8th grade and eventually taught myself guitar. I’d say in college when I started writing my own songs and playing for my friends and playing in bands is when I decided that music was at the very least a viable option for a career and that it was fulfilling for me.

How would best describe your sound?

Be it cliché to say, it’s always tough to describe my sound. I think I am so heavily influenced by so many different sounds that I often find it hard to decide on what style I want to indulge in. That being said, my favorite description I’ve ever heard from someone else was “Red Hot Chili Peppers meets Maroon 5”. That always tickled me. I think with Red Dress I stuck to my roots more than anything. I rely a lot on rhythm and energy to capture the messages of my songs and I try to always sing from the heart. I’d say somewhere in the realm of Soul/Rock is where I naturally fall.

Do you have any influences people might be surprised by?

I’m not sure they’re all that surprising but my favorite bands growing up were The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings of Leon, and Dispatch. As I grew into a guitar player I came to really appreciate John Mayer and his approach to songwriting. My parents kept a lot of Eagles, Steely Dan, Tom Petty, and Bob Marley records in the house. I guess perhaps the one surprising thing is that I embody a lot of Motown attitudes. I seem to always come back to this inner James Brown/Wilson Pickett persona that likes to scream and dance when I play live.

Tell us about your new song “Red Dress”.

Red Dress was my first single. I’m incredibly proud of it and had a lot of fun making it. The story behind the song is very specific and personal to me, as most of my songs are. It’s about when I first moved to Nashville and was reflecting on the path that brought me here. I talk a lot about Wilmington, NC where I’m from and the people I left behind and how the void of old friendships and relationships can be painfully lonely. There was a night, in particular, spent walking down Broadway in the rain after the bars closed down, smoking cigarettes and wondering where I’d gone wrong and I’d say that moment was the genesis of the song.

Can we expect an EP out in the future? More singles? Maybe even both?

I’ll actually be releasing my next single in October! It’s called Back To Your Man. It’s a much different vibe than the last and I think it’s going to be a hit. It’s jazzy and smooth and fun with a guitar solo. All the makings for a classic.

Is there a possibility to tour the new music or have some live performances?

I play a lot in Nashville and North Carolina since those are my stomping grounds. I hope to soon have the means to arrange a full-blown tour to support myself, maybe even open for another band. I’m still very much at the stage of my musical career where I’m focused on writing and recording.

How do you warm up for a show? Any rituals you have?

I’d say that mostly involves having some drinks and writing the setlist on a napkin. I’ve never been big on rituals, I like the feeling of just winging it and letting the atmosphere generated by the venue and the crowd dictate the dynamic of my set.

What do you do when something goes wrong during a live performance?

When something goes wrong during a live show, we call it “jazz”.

Do you have a five year plan or anything like that?

I think the 5-year plan as of now is to continue to grow my fan base by continuing to release new music and invest in promoting it and getting it into the hands of an audience that will listen. It’s difficult to be a DIY musician and it’s difficult to know where to invest your time and resources. I never say no to a show and I’d say five years from now, I hope to be relevant within my genre and connected enough with the industry that I can arrange tours and play with artists bigger than me.

Lastly a fun one: what would be on your dream rider?

I’ve never thought too much about that. We’ve always just had beer and occasionally some snacks or something. I think it would be cool to just have the high-class version of beer and snacks. Rather than PBR and Doritos, I’d like a little cart rolled into the green room with some top-shelf rum and gin and some crab dip. I think I’d know I made it at that point.